Sortilège Le Galion 1936 Extrait

Sortilège, this name came to me as a teenager and I was fascinated by it. My sister, 8 years older, was already working and told me about a colleague who wore a fragrance called Sortilège. My sister admired this colleague a little, and I imagined her and this scent to be elegant, expensive, and mysterious. Just as only teenagers can form an idea based on a name. I didn't get to know this fragrance back then, and eventually, the name faded from memory. Thanks to Angelliese's comment, the memory was revived, and I added this fragrance to my watchlist.

Now I was able to test the vintage version. The opening of the fragrance is a bit overwhelming; aldehydes and bergamot hit intensely, and civet is also immediately strong and makes the start unpleasant for me. Civet doesn’t always come out nicely on my skin; my husband bluntly calls it "cat pee." But this note quickly retreats, and a delicate soapiness with a lovely spiciness spreads. Indeed, this fragrance is elegant and mysterious, just as I had imagined it as a teenager. Sortilège means spell, and the name fits. A bouquet of flowers unfolds, all the flowers harmoniously blend into one another; I think I can recognize rose and the sharp, spicy warmth of a clove. This slightly powdery and unsweetened floral dream ends in a warm, soft, and herbal base of vanilla and wood. Sortilège, a charming, old-fashioned fragrance that reminds me a bit of classics like Chantilly and Emeraude.

The sillage is only strong at the beginning, then it recedes; the longevity is good. Sortilège is reserved for ladies, and I really mean ladies. Thanks to Titania, it’s wonderful that I got to sniff this fragrance after so many years. And indeed, it comes very close to my former impression.